140th Pennsylvania Infantry
Encyclopedia
The 140th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry was a Union Army
regiment in the American Civil War
, serving in the Eastern Theater
. Recruited in late 1862, it fought from the Battle of Chancellorsville
through the war until the Confederate surrender at Appomattox Court House. It loses during the war were among the highest of any Union regiment.
, Greene
, Mercer
, and Washington
counties, and formally mustered into service on September 8, 1862 at Camp Curtin
, under the command of Col. Richard P. Roberts.
The 140th was initially placed on duty guarding the North Central Railway near Parkton, Maryland
and remained there until being ordered to join the Army of the Potomac
at Aquia Creek
, Virginia
, where they arrived on December 12. Here they were assigned to the 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, II Army Corps
, under the command of Gen. Samuel K. Zook
, and proceeded to go into winter quarters near Falmouth, Virginia
.
While in winter camp, on January 18, 1863, the regiment received Springfield rifle muskets
, to replace their large and unwieldy Vincennes muskets. These were gratefully received by the men, as they had been subjected to continuous mockery by other soldiers with quips such as, “There goes the walking artillery” or, “Look at the twelve-pounders!”
left flank, crossing the Rappahannock River
at United States Ford and proceeding toward Chancellorsville
, where it arrived on May 1 and took its place in the left center of Gen. Joseph Hooker’s
line. Receiving orders on the evening of May 2 to report to Col. Nelson Miles
, in charge of the 1st Division’s picket line, the men helped to beat back repeated Confederate
assaults throughout the morning of May 3. Additionally, a part of the regiment assisted in bringing off the guns of Battery E, 5th Maine Light Artillery to avoid capture. With Hooker on the retreat, the 140th re-crossed the Rappahannock with the rest of Zook’s brigade on May 6 and returned to their old camp near Falmouth. Thus, the regiment had had its baptism by fire.
, marched there to stop him. On the morning of July 2 the 140th arrived south of the town of Gettysburg
, with their 1st Division taking up a position on the left of the II Corps, adjoining the right end of Gen. Daniel Sickles’
III Corps
. However, Sickles arbitrarily decided to move his troops out in front of the rest of the Union line, and was soon in trouble, being attacked by Confederates in the afternoon. Thus Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock
dispatched the 1st Division to report to Gen. George Sykes
to be placed in line of battle to assist Sickles. The 3rd Brigade, under Gen. Zook, who was mortally wounded, advanced on the right end of the division across The Wheatfield, with the 140th occupying the right flank of the brigade. They initially made progress in pushing back the Rebels, but with the onset of Confederate reinforcements and the subsequent collapse of the III Corps to their right, as well as the withdrawal of the division on the left, the brigade was compelled to retreat. Together with their brigade, the regiment occupied a position on the left center of the Union line for the remainder of the battle.
At Gettysburg the 140th lost 37 officers and men, including Col. Roberts, 144 officers and men wounded, and 60 officers and men wounded, for a total of 241 Command of the regiment now devolved to Lt. Col John Fraser, who would be promoted to colonel dating from July 4, 1863.
With Lee defeated at Gettysburg, the Union Army pursued him as he retreated back into Virginia. In September, the 1st Division was reorganized and the 140th was now assigned to the 1st Brigade, under the command of Col. Nelson Miles. For the remainder of 1863, the regiment was involved in a series of advances and retrograde movements in Northern Virginia with the II Corps, including limited involvement at the Battle of Bristoe Station
on October 14, before finally settling into winter encampment.
, under the command of Gen. Ulysses S. Grant
. During the Battle of the Wilderness
, the 1st Brigade occupied the extreme left flank of the Union line.
For the first part of the Battle of Spotsylvania, the 1st Brigade occupied the extreme right of the Union line. After being detached for a brief reconnaissance to Todd’s Tavern, the 140th rejoined the brigade in its slide to the east, closer to the left end of the Union line. There, early on the morning of May 12 they took part in the massive assault on the part of the Confederate line known as the “Mule Shoe.” The men had to pick their way through trees felled to form an abatis
before making their way up to the Mule Shoe, where they managed to dislodge the Rebels from their first line, but were unable to proceed further, having to settle into the works just captured. On May 15 the 1st Division was ordered to the rear and occupied this position until the 21st, when they joined Grant’s next flank movement to the east toward North Anna River
. The movement to and actions at Spotsylvania cost the regiment 41 men killed, 125 officers and men wounded, and 10 men missing, for a total of 176.
The regiment next moved with the II Corps toward the North Anna River
, and was involved in skirmishing there May 23-25 at the Battle of North Anna
. Grant finding that Lee’s forces were too strongly entrenched there for a major assault, he ordered yet another eastward movement, this time in the direction of Cold Harbor. At the Battle of Cold Harbor
the 1st Brigade occupied the left of the Union line, making contact with the Confederates on June 2, and driving their line back for a period before being counterattacked in turn and forced to give ground themselves. On June 3, the regiment was held in support of pickets on the left while the rest of the Union assault occurred to the north. Having advanced their position and entrenching on June 6, they remained in this position until the 12th. Their losses in the movement to Cold Harbor and the subsequent battle there were 10 officers and men killed, 24 men wounded, and 10 men missing.
and advanced on Petersburg
. On June 16 the 1st Division joined in an attack on the Confederate entrenchments outside the city, but this would prove to be the beginning of a long a long siege that would last until April 2, 1865. During this period, the 140th was involved in various movements and smaller battles which comprised the overall siege, including Ream's Station
on August 25, and Hatcher's Run
February 5-7 1865.
and their final battle at Farmville
on April 7. Lee would finally surrender to Grant on April 9, thus bringing the war to a close in this theater.
The regiment took its place in the Grand Review of the Armies
in Washington, D.C.
and was then formally mustered out of service on May 31.
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
regiment in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, serving in the Eastern Theater
Eastern Theater of the American Civil War
The Eastern Theater of the American Civil War included the states of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, the District of Columbia, and the coastal fortifications and seaports of North Carolina...
. Recruited in late 1862, it fought from the Battle of Chancellorsville
Battle of Chancellorsville
The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville Campaign. It was fought from April 30 to May 6, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, near the village of Chancellorsville. Two related battles were fought nearby on...
through the war until the Confederate surrender at Appomattox Court House. It loses during the war were among the highest of any Union regiment.
Organization
The regiment was recruited in BeaverBeaver County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 181,412 people, 72,576 households, and 50,512 families residing in the county. The population density was 418 people per square mile . There were 77,765 housing units at an average density of 179 per square mile...
, Greene
Greene County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 40,672 people, 15,060 households, and 10,587 families residing in the county. The population density was 71 people per square mile . There were 16,678 housing units at an average density of 29 per square mile...
, Mercer
Mercer County, Pennsylvania
Mercer County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 116,638. Its county seat is Mercer; Sharon is its largest city....
, and Washington
Washington County, Pennsylvania
-Government and politics:As of November 2008, there are 152,534 registered voters in Washington County .* Democratic: 89,027 * Republican: 49,025 * Other Parties: 14,482...
counties, and formally mustered into service on September 8, 1862 at Camp Curtin
Camp Curtin
Camp Curtin was a military training camp in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, during the American Civil War.When news of the bombardment and subsequent surrender of Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina reached Washington, D.C. on April 14, 1861, President Abraham Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers...
, under the command of Col. Richard P. Roberts.
The 140th was initially placed on duty guarding the North Central Railway near Parkton, Maryland
Parkton, Maryland
Parkton is a rural area in the northern part of Baltimore County, Maryland, USA. It borders southern York County, PA, and this border forms part of The Mason-Dixon Line...
and remained there until being ordered to join the Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
at Aquia Creek
Aquia Creek
Aquia Creek is a tributary of the tidal segment of the Potomac River and is located in northern Virginia. The creek's headwaters lie in southeastern Fauquier County, and it empties into the Potomac at Brent Point in Stafford County, south of Washington, D.C....
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, where they arrived on December 12. Here they were assigned to the 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, II Army Corps
II Corps (ACW)
There were five corps in the Union Army designated as II Corps during the American Civil War.* Army of the Cumberland, II Corps commanded by Thomas L. Crittenden , later renumbered XX Corps...
, under the command of Gen. Samuel K. Zook
Samuel K. Zook
Samuel Kosciuszko Zook was a Union general during the American Civil War, killed in action during the Battle of Gettysburg.-Early years:...
, and proceeded to go into winter quarters near Falmouth, Virginia
Falmouth, Virginia
Falmouth is an unincorporated community in Stafford County, Virginia, United States. Situated on the north bank of the Rappahannock River at the falls, the community is north of and opposite the city of Fredericksburg. Recognized by the U.S...
.
Springfield Model 1861
The Springfield Model 1861 was a Minié-type rifled musket shoulder arm used by the United States Army and Marine Corps during the American Civil War. Commonly referred to as the "Springfield" , it was the most widely used U.S...
, to replace their large and unwieldy Vincennes muskets. These were gratefully received by the men, as they had been subjected to continuous mockery by other soldiers with quips such as, “There goes the walking artillery” or, “Look at the twelve-pounders!”
Chancellorsville
On April 28, the 140th broke camp and marched with the II Corps around Gen. Robert E. Lee’sRobert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
left flank, crossing the Rappahannock River
Rappahannock River
The Rappahannock River is a river in eastern Virginia, in the United States, approximately in length. It traverses the entire northern part of the state, from the Blue Ridge Mountains in the west, across the Piedmont, to the Chesapeake Bay, south of the Potomac River.An important river in American...
at United States Ford and proceeding toward Chancellorsville
Chancellorsville
Chancellorsville may refer to:* Chancellorsville, Virginia, an unincorporated community in the United States** Battle of Chancellorsville, a battle during the American Civil War that took place at Chancellorsville, Virginia, from April 20 – May 6 in 1863...
, where it arrived on May 1 and took its place in the left center of Gen. Joseph Hooker’s
Joseph Hooker
Joseph Hooker was a career United States Army officer, achieving the rank of major general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Although he served throughout the war, usually with distinction, Hooker is best remembered for his stunning defeat by Confederate General Robert E...
line. Receiving orders on the evening of May 2 to report to Col. Nelson Miles
Nelson A. Miles
Nelson Appleton Miles was a United States soldier who served in the American Civil War, Indian Wars, and the Spanish-American War.-Early life:Miles was born in Westminster, Massachusetts, on his family's farm...
, in charge of the 1st Division’s picket line, the men helped to beat back repeated Confederate
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
assaults throughout the morning of May 3. Additionally, a part of the regiment assisted in bringing off the guns of Battery E, 5th Maine Light Artillery to avoid capture. With Hooker on the retreat, the 140th re-crossed the Rappahannock with the rest of Zook’s brigade on May 6 and returned to their old camp near Falmouth. Thus, the regiment had had its baptism by fire.
Gettysburg and the remainder of 1863
With Lee now on the move and having crossed into Pennsylvania, the Union Army, now under the command of Gen. George MeadeGeorge Meade
George Gordon Meade was a career United States Army officer and civil engineer involved in coastal construction, including several lighthouses. He fought with distinction in the Second Seminole War and Mexican-American War. During the American Civil War he served as a Union general, rising from...
, marched there to stop him. On the morning of July 2 the 140th arrived south of the town of Gettysburg
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Gettysburg is a borough that is the county seat, part of the Gettysburg Battlefield, and the eponym for the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg. The town hosts visitors to the Gettysburg National Military Park and has 3 institutions of higher learning: Lutheran Theological Seminary, Gettysburg College, and...
, with their 1st Division taking up a position on the left of the II Corps, adjoining the right end of Gen. Daniel Sickles’
Daniel Sickles
Daniel Edgar Sickles was a colorful and controversial American politician, Union general in the American Civil War, and diplomat....
III Corps
III Corps (ACW)
There were four formations in the Union Army designated as III Corps during the American Civil War.Three were short-lived:*In the Army of Virginia:**Irvin McDowell ;**James B...
. However, Sickles arbitrarily decided to move his troops out in front of the rest of the Union line, and was soon in trouble, being attacked by Confederates in the afternoon. Thus Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock
Winfield Scott Hancock
Winfield Scott Hancock was a career U.S. Army officer and the Democratic nominee for President of the United States in 1880. He served with distinction in the Army for four decades, including service in the Mexican-American War and as a Union general in the American Civil War...
dispatched the 1st Division to report to Gen. George Sykes
George Sykes
George Sykes was a career United States Army officer and a Union General during the American Civil War.-Early life:...
to be placed in line of battle to assist Sickles. The 3rd Brigade, under Gen. Zook, who was mortally wounded, advanced on the right end of the division across The Wheatfield, with the 140th occupying the right flank of the brigade. They initially made progress in pushing back the Rebels, but with the onset of Confederate reinforcements and the subsequent collapse of the III Corps to their right, as well as the withdrawal of the division on the left, the brigade was compelled to retreat. Together with their brigade, the regiment occupied a position on the left center of the Union line for the remainder of the battle.
At Gettysburg the 140th lost 37 officers and men, including Col. Roberts, 144 officers and men wounded, and 60 officers and men wounded, for a total of 241 Command of the regiment now devolved to Lt. Col John Fraser, who would be promoted to colonel dating from July 4, 1863.
With Lee defeated at Gettysburg, the Union Army pursued him as he retreated back into Virginia. In September, the 1st Division was reorganized and the 140th was now assigned to the 1st Brigade, under the command of Col. Nelson Miles. For the remainder of 1863, the regiment was involved in a series of advances and retrograde movements in Northern Virginia with the II Corps, including limited involvement at the Battle of Bristoe Station
Battle of Bristoe Station
The Battle of Bristoe Station was fought on October 14, 1863, at Bristoe Station, Virginia, between Union forces under Maj. Gen. Gouverneur K. Warren and Confederate forces under Lt. Gen. A.P. Hill during the Bristoe Campaign of the American Civil War...
on October 14, before finally settling into winter encampment.
1864
On May 3, 1864, the 140th broke camp and began their part in what would be known as Overland CampaignOverland Campaign
The Overland Campaign, also known as Grant's Overland Campaign and the Wilderness Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during May and June 1864, in the American Civil War. Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, general-in-chief of all Union armies, directed the actions of the Army of the...
, under the command of Gen. Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
. During the Battle of the Wilderness
Battle of the Wilderness
The Battle of the Wilderness, fought May 5–7, 1864, was the first battle of Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against Gen. Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. Both armies suffered heavy casualties, a harbinger of a bloody war of attrition by...
, the 1st Brigade occupied the extreme left flank of the Union line.
For the first part of the Battle of Spotsylvania, the 1st Brigade occupied the extreme right of the Union line. After being detached for a brief reconnaissance to Todd’s Tavern, the 140th rejoined the brigade in its slide to the east, closer to the left end of the Union line. There, early on the morning of May 12 they took part in the massive assault on the part of the Confederate line known as the “Mule Shoe.” The men had to pick their way through trees felled to form an abatis
Abatis
Abatis, abattis, or abbattis is a term in field fortification for an obstacle formed of the branches of trees laid in a row, with the sharpened tops directed outwards, towards the enemy. The trees are usually interlaced or tied with wire...
before making their way up to the Mule Shoe, where they managed to dislodge the Rebels from their first line, but were unable to proceed further, having to settle into the works just captured. On May 15 the 1st Division was ordered to the rear and occupied this position until the 21st, when they joined Grant’s next flank movement to the east toward North Anna River
North Anna River
The North Anna River is a principal tributary of the Pamunkey River, about long, in central Virginia in the United States. Via the Pamunkey and York rivers, it is part of the watershed of Chesapeake Bay...
. The movement to and actions at Spotsylvania cost the regiment 41 men killed, 125 officers and men wounded, and 10 men missing, for a total of 176.
The regiment next moved with the II Corps toward the North Anna River
North Anna River
The North Anna River is a principal tributary of the Pamunkey River, about long, in central Virginia in the United States. Via the Pamunkey and York rivers, it is part of the watershed of Chesapeake Bay...
, and was involved in skirmishing there May 23-25 at the Battle of North Anna
Battle of North Anna
The Battle of North Anna was fought May 23–26, 1864, as part of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign against Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. It consisted of a series of small actions near the North Anna River in central Virginia, rather than a...
. Grant finding that Lee’s forces were too strongly entrenched there for a major assault, he ordered yet another eastward movement, this time in the direction of Cold Harbor. At the Battle of Cold Harbor
Battle of Cold Harbor
The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought from May 31 to June 12, 1864 . It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign during the American Civil War, and is remembered as one of American history's bloodiest, most lopsided battles...
the 1st Brigade occupied the left of the Union line, making contact with the Confederates on June 2, and driving their line back for a period before being counterattacked in turn and forced to give ground themselves. On June 3, the regiment was held in support of pickets on the left while the rest of the Union assault occurred to the north. Having advanced their position and entrenching on June 6, they remained in this position until the 12th. Their losses in the movement to Cold Harbor and the subsequent battle there were 10 officers and men killed, 24 men wounded, and 10 men missing.
Petersburg
Grant again uprooted his army, and the II Corps now crossed the James RiverJames River
The James River may refer to:Rivers in the United States and their namesakes* James River * James River , North Dakota, South Dakota* James River * James River * James River...
and advanced on Petersburg
Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...
. On June 16 the 1st Division joined in an attack on the Confederate entrenchments outside the city, but this would prove to be the beginning of a long a long siege that would last until April 2, 1865. During this period, the 140th was involved in various movements and smaller battles which comprised the overall siege, including Ream's Station
Second Battle of Ream's Station
The Second Battle of Ream's Station was fought during the Siege of Petersburg in the American Civil War on August 25, 1864, in Dinwiddie County, Virginia. A Union force under Maj. Gen. Winfield S. Hancock began destroying part of the Weldon Railroad, which was a vital supply line for Gen. Robert...
on August 25, and Hatcher's Run
Battle of Hatcher's Run
The Battle of Hatcher's Run, also known as Dabney's Mill, Armstrong's Mill, Rowanty Creek, and Vaughn Road, fought February 5–7, 1865, was one in a series of Union offensives during the Siege of Petersburg, aimed at cutting off Confederate supply traffic on Boydton Plank Road and the Weldon...
February 5-7 1865.
End of the War
With the Union Army’s breakthrough of the Confederate line on April 2, the 140th now joined in the final pursuit of the remnants of Lee’s troops, which would include the Battle of Sayler's CreekBattle of Sayler's Creek
-External links:* * : Maps, histories, photos, and preservation news...
and their final battle at Farmville
Farmville, Virginia
Farmville is a town in Prince Edward and Cumberland counties in the U.S. state of Virginia. The population was 6,845 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Prince Edward County....
on April 7. Lee would finally surrender to Grant on April 9, thus bringing the war to a close in this theater.
The regiment took its place in the Grand Review of the Armies
Grand Review of the Armies
The Grand Review of the Armies was a military procession and celebration in Washington, D.C., on May 23 and May 24, 1865, following the close of the American Civil War...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and was then formally mustered out of service on May 31.
Losses
Over the course of the war, the 140th Pennsylvania had 1132 officers and men enrolled in its ranks. Of these, 198 were killed or mortally wounded, or 17.4 percent, among the highest rates of any Union regiment in the Civil War. An additional 128 died of disease, for a total of 326, or 28.8%.Re-enactors
Currently there is a reenactment group, the 140th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, Co. A, based in Greene County, Pennsylvania.See also
- List of Pennsylvania Civil War Units
- Bell, Gregory Jason, "In Defense of Colonel Richard P. Roberts, Commanding Officer of the Pennsylvania 140th Regiment" http://www.140pvi.us/bell-gregory-2004-ma.pdf